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By Caroline Cox | Photo: Erik Lesser | January 6, 2016

Designer Iris van Herpen’s wow-worthy garments arrive at the High Museum of Art.

When
10:08am
11.5.15

Where
High Museum of Art

Museumgoers marveled at the otherworldly garments comprised of metals, molded plastics, 3-D-printed fabrics and other unconventional materials resulting in a dramatic display of 45 out-there ensembles for the High Museum of Art’s Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion exhibition. The Dutch fashion designer’s inspirational show also featured footwear, video accompaniment and an area where guests could touch the materials used in several of the garments. For the exhibition’s preview, photographer Erik Lesser was on hand to capture unique shots of the collection, including this one of van Herpen’s piece, “Crystallization, Dress, Collar,” created with transparent polyethylene terephthalate, ECCO leather with oil treatment, goat leather, silver chains and viscose. “Both the lighting and the background afforded me and the viewer an unusual view of this outfit,” Lesser explains. “The feel of liquid splashing from front to back was best shown from the back.” The photographer adds that, while he’d seen the designer’s work in runway shots before, the ability to view them up close was nothing short of amazing. “There are many aspects of much of her work that are cutting-edge, especially the use of 3-D printing,” he says. “This particular one for me evokes exhilaration and celebration. As a sports photographer, it reminds me of a coach getting dunked with Gatorade after winning the big game.” That’s what we call a winning shot.